GERMANS’ NEIGHBOURS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20030, 31 August 1939, Page 7

GERMANS’ NEIGHBOURS

PREPARATIONS REVIEWED HOLLAND’S WEAKNESSES CONCERN IN BELGIUM A significant feature of the frontier defences now toeing manned toy Holland, Belgium and Switzerland is that they are ail chiefly pointed toward the German frontier. The Dutch are relying on small defensive posts -to delay an advance while they 'bring their huge engineering schemes for flooding the countryside into operation. A weakness -of their strategic defensive schemes is that an irruption by Germany into Southern- 'Holland would have the effect of turning the Dutch forces northward, -thus separating them from the Belgians.

Competent observers are a little apprehensive concerning the efficacy of some of the preparations in Southern Holland on 'the ground that they are less up-to-date and less advanced than those of Belgium. There is a comparative scarcity of pillboxes at points which need to -be well covered, much of their military material is obsolete, and there is an' air of indifferentlytrained militia borne toy -their troops. Problferiis For Belgians These weaknesses cause concern to Belgium, for the Belgian General Staff has to bear in mind that a wider outflanking movement than was made in 1914 might toe attempted. What is known as the “Maastricht Appendix” lies Ibetween Belgium and Germany, and because Holland regards it as impossible to defend this -area, it creates a military problem for Belgium. The key point of the Belgian defence in the north has been fixed at Maeseyck supported by a chain of pillboxes along the Meuse and backed by the formidable barrier of the Albert Canal.

Belgium has entirely reconstructed the old line of forts around Liege and has built four new ones about six miles beyond the first fortress perimeter. Further toward the German border arc pillboxes, while at every bridge over every road, canal and rail is posted a permanent sentry from a demolition party. Thus Belgium, with her much more up-to-date and more rapid scheme of mobilisation than she had in 1914, hopes to block the historic gateway into the lowlands debouching from Aachen in Germany. Swiss Fear Surprise

Switzerland is at present carrying out a large reorganisation and reequipment scheme to provide nine divisions . and three independent mountain brigades from- her militia. One division covers the eastern frontier near Lake Constance, three cover the Rhine frontier and two the Jura frontier. There are two divisions In a central reserve and the ninth provides the garrison for the St. Gotthard fortifications facing south. The essence of the defence scheme is to take advantage of the difficult nature of the country, where small forces may hold up armies vastly exceeding them in strength. The only possibility of overcoming the Swiss frontier forces would be by a lightning surprise attack, which, If -successful, would put the attackers into more favourable country toward France in about four hours. It is t.o guard against such surprise that the Swiss have now mobilised